Blast from the Past
by indiesky
Summary: Nine years ago, Edward left Bella. He never came back. It took some time for her to heal, but she's finally happy again. That is, until Charlie uncovers some things that bring the memories back. As if that weren't enough, Edward himself shows up again.
1. one

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bella, Edward, Charlie, Jacob…heck, I just don't own Twilight. But I own Anthony, a little. HE'S MINE. Okay, just kidding.**

**A/N: Uhm..this is my first fanfic. This is just the first chapter, you know? I don't know if I'm going to continue it or not, though I'll more than likely be writing. So you need to review and tell me what you think, okay? Thanks a lot. Hope you enjoy.**

**­ **

"Bella?" Charlie's voice startled me out of my trance.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Are you okay in here?"

"Yeah, Dad."

I stood up from my bed, where I'd been sitting, thinking about my memories in this house, Charlie's house. It was true that I hadn't lived here long. I moved in with him when I was seventeen. I could hardly believe that that had been only ten years ago. It seemed like forever.

I'd lived with Charlie until I was twenty-two because there was no point in moving out on my own. I'd gone to college—I majored in elementary education—but the school was in Port Angeles, so it was only a short drive every day. Besides, Charlie needed me, and I liked being around him.

Even if I had gotten my own place, it wouldn't have lasted long. I've known since I was nineteen that I'd move in with Jacob just as soon as we were married. I just didn't want to rush things, so I waited until after college. We were married that summer, and then I moved out.

Now it was Charlie's turn to move out.

He'd told me before that he was planning on getting a place with less…memories. Less of a "past," so to speak. I'd never really taken him seriously; he stayed in this house since he married my mother twenty-seven years ago.

But now he was serious about it. He was moving to a new apartment complex on the edge of Forks. He would remain chief of police; nothing was changing except his address.

"You've got a couple of boxes in your truck, right?" Charlie asked gently.

"Yeah, Dad. I've got some stuff in there."

Charlie sighed.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

He looked at me for a moment, then sighed again and sat on my bed, which was now stripped of all my sheets and blankets. He patted the spot next to him. I sat down.

"Bella, I didn't want to tell you this, because I didn't want to upset you…" his voice trailed off and he was now staring past me. I followed his gaze, but it apparently just led into space, because there was nothing to stare at.

"Dad, what is it?" I prodded patiently.

"Bella, I found some things under your floorboards."

I cocked my head at him in confusion. "What…kinds of things?"

He sighed again, and I could tell this conversation was painful for him.

"Bella, I found some things from…Edward."

I gasped. It had been so long since I'd heard his name.

_Edward Cullen._

The memories came flooding back. They'd always been with me, ever since he left me nine years ago, never to contact me again, never to return to Forks. But I was pretty good at blocking them out.

_Nine years._

Had it really been that long? I shook my head, trying to get the memories out. I guess you could say I'd never gotten over Edward. In fact, I'd named my first son Anthony Masen, since Anthony was Edward's middle name and Masen was his human last name. Jacob, of course, had no clue to this connection. If he did, there is no way he would have allowed it.

"Bella?" Charlie was shaking my shoulders. "Bella, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. Forget it, okay?" He stood up and pulled me up with him.

"Yeah, okay. Let's go, Dad."

On the way out, I paused to stand in my doorway one last time. I let my eyes flicker over the room, which was practically empty. I, quite stupidly, allowed myself to remember.

_Edward Cullen._


	2. two

**Disclaimer: Twilight's still not mine. But Anthony still is. D **

**A/N: Okay, I wrote this, so I decided to put it up. I did get a couple of reviews [thanks a TON! But this story will only keep going as long as you guys want it, so let me know. And let me know if it gets too predictable/boring. Another big thing I need: would you like to see a chapter in Edward's point of view? I can't guarantee where he'd be telling the story from, that would just all depend. But would you like that? Please let me know. And for those of you wanting to see Anthony, he'll be around before long, so don't worry. And yes, he's a cutie! ) **

**indiesky**

**­ **

When we entered Charlie's new apartment, it felt wrong. The big furniture was already there; Jacob and Sam Uley, from the pack, had taken it over in Sam's truck and set it up for Charlie. But it didn't look right. I couldn't justify seeing Charlie's couch, Charlie's table, Charlie's TV, all of _Charlie's_ stuff…in this…place.

"Something wrong, Bells?" Jacob asked, slipping an arm around me. He and Sam had been lounging on the couch, waiting for us.

"Oh, no. It's nothing," I said with the best smile I could manage. He looked unconvinced.

I shifted myself so that our bodies were pressed together and wrapped my arms around his waist. That was how I had to hug him, since he was so tall.

"Bella…what is it? You're no good at keeping secrets."

I looked up at him. "I'm just a little taken aback by this move, I guess. It's weird seeing all of Charlie's stuff here, in this strange apartment."

He looked down, his eyes meeting mine. We both smiled, and then he nodded.

"I can understand that."

_Of course you can, that's the truth. The whole truth, _I thought to myself.

It wasn't as if I was lying to Jacob. Seeing Charlie's stuff here _was_ bothering me. It's just that...other things…were bothering me, too.

I pulled away from Jacob then. I had to help Charlie get his boxes up here and unpacked.

Not more than ten minutes later, I was in Charlie's room, pulling his bed set out of a box. I glanced out the window and noticed that, for the time being, it wasn't raining. I made my way over and assessed the view.

To my surprise, it was a fantastic view. Charlie's window looked over the forest. What a shock; Forks was surrounded by forests. But this part of the forest didn't look quite normal. I soon realized why.

As I looked out over the trees, I found that there was a big gap in the forest. I knew what was located in that gap.

It was the house.

It was _their _house.

Suddenly, the urge to see it overcame me. I had to go. I just had to see that house again, had to know it was still there, had to make sure it was just how I remembered. Had to know this wasn't in my mind.

I recognized this urge. I'd had it before, a lot, right after he'd left. But I knew that actually following through would only hurt more. I'd really come close once, in fact. But I was younger then, and overcome by pain.

The pain hadn't disappeared, but it had lessened over time, and I knew that I could take it now, seeing that house. And I _had_ to see the house. I couldn't explain or justify how strongly I felt about this, I just knew I had to do it.

I rushed out of the bedroom and straight to the hallway. I was almost to the stairwell when I heard a door burst open from down the hall.

"Bella! Bella, where in the world are you going in such a hurry?" Jacob's voice was booming.

Jacob. Crap. I'd forgotten that Jacob was still there.

That _did_ bring up quite a predicament.


	3. three

**Disclaimer: I credit Twilight and its characters to Stephenie Meyer, and not me. They're not mine. They're hers. **

**A/N: Well, I got a couple pretty good reviews, so here's chapter three for you. I never got a response as to whether or not you wanted a chapter from EPOV, but I figured it would be best, so you know what's going on in his mind. So, yeah, that's basically where it is. I hope you enjoy it. This is all I have written so far, and I probably won't write any more if I don't get a few more reviews. So please review if you like it.**

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EPOV

I stood in the front yard, looking at the house. I knew it was empty; I had watched from behind the trees as they moved things out. I'd seen the dogs come by and take large furniture, while Bella and Charlie packed up boxes.

I was still trying to come to terms with what I'd seen in Bella's car. I knew it was Bella's car, because Charlie only had the cruiser.

In the backseat, there were a clutter of sippy cups, coloring books, toys…and a car seat. That could only mean one thing: Bella had children.

The thought of my Bella, my wonderful, lovely, perfect Bella, reproducing with a man…it made me sick to my stomach. No man was good enough for her. No man deserved her. 

It wasn't fair for me to think that way, though. Of course she had moved on. That was precisely what I had meant for her to do. I'd never really thought she would. I mean, the thought had crossed my mind, but I'd manage to avoid really thinking about it. Now, though, it was impossible to avoid.

Even so, I tried to do just that as I wandered into the dark, empty house. I stood in the middle of the living room, thinking about all the times I had sat on the couch with Bella, watching a movie or even television, when we had nothing better to do. I thought about the first time I'd sat in this room as Bella's "boyfriend" and how amused I'd been by Charlie's reaction to me.

I let my feet guide me to the kitchen next. I couldn't help but remember our memories there. It was in this room that I'd kissed Bella for the second time. I remembered it distinctly, because she'd fainted.

As I made my way up the stairs, a strange, nostalgic feeling washed over me. So many times I had rescued my dear Bella from falling on these steps. At times, of course, I had failed, but my Bella was a quick healer.

I opted not to visit Charlie's room; it was empty, and I didn't really have any memories of it. Instead, I went straight for Bella's bedroom. It was from listening to her talk in her sleep that I had first found out that our feelings were mutual. It was in this very room that I'd held my angel so many nights while she slept.

The more I remembered, the sadder I felt. I knew that if it was possible, I would most likely be crying at this moment.

I can't say for sure how long I stood there, beating myself up inside for leaving Bella. Why had I waited so long to return? Maybe I could have won her back, if I'd come in time. Why had I left in the first place? This was definitely not for the general good of things!

Of course, I reasoned with myself, things were good for Bella. After all, she had moved on with a man, a _human_ man, and she was happy. At least, I assumed she was happy. True, she'd looked troubled upon leaving this house, but after living here so long with her father, that was to be expected, right?

_You stupid, stupid man, Edward Cullen!_ I screamed at myself. I was hurting all over at the loss of Bella. This pain was nothing new to me; I'd felt it all along. But now it was worse, since I knew that Bella was really over me. That was what I had wanted, but some sick part of me wished I could have her back.

It was then that I remembered the floorboards. I checked under them for the tickets, the CD, the pictures. Everything that I'd childishly left there, hoping that Bella would sense that a part of me was still with her.

They were gone.

Who had found them, I couldn't say for sure. If it was Bella, hopefully she wasn't too pained by the memories. If it was Charlie…well, he probably just threw them out if he found them.

I sighed and put the floorboards back down. I was so angry with myself. I had quite obviously made a huge mistake. And it was too late to fix it.

_I love you, Isabella Marie Swan, and I am so sorry for leaving you,_ I thought to myself, turning my back on the room.

But as soon as I reached the bottom of the stairs, I found myself face to face with a very angry Charlie.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

**A/N: I hope you like this chapter. You're probably thinking, wait, wouldn't Edward hear Charlie's thoughts and know he's there? Well, yeah, but he was concentrating so much on Bella and his memories that he didn't really hear Charlie's thoughts. You have to keep in mind that Edward is so used to hearing thoughts that he can drown them out if he so chooses. And he had no reason to be listening for anyone's thoughts, since he knew that everyone had left, and the house was empty. Anyway, as to what Charlie was doing there, you'll find out soon enough! That is, if you use the magic word…REVIEW. I appreciate any and all reviews, good or bad.**


	4. four

**Disclaimer: This idea is mine, but the characters…well, the characters belong to Ms. Stephenie Meyer. Except Anthony. Still mine[and still not in the story. sorry about that. within the next two chapters, though! **

**A/N: Yes, it's chapter four. It's a little longer than the others have been, I think. In any case, I hope you like it. It's probably not my best, but bear with me. Let me know if you want more. If you do, I'll gladly write it up for you. XD**

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I slowly looked up to meet Jacob's glance. I was caught, and I couldn't think of an excuse fast enough. I knew I couldn't tell him the truth; he'd be furious, not to mention hurt. It wasn't my intention to hurt him. I didn't want to do that.

When my eyes finally found Jacob's, I could see that his were full of confusion. Mine, I'm sure, were full of terror. His face softened and he made his way down the hall toward me.

"Oh, Bells, I know it's hard." He said softly, wrapping his arms around me and stroking my hair.

I didn't say anything. I didn't move. I had a feeling he wasn't talking about Edward. There was no way that he was, actually. But I wasn't quite sure what he _was_ talking about, so I kept stiff and quiet and hoped his next words would give me a hint.

He continued to stroke my hair. I fell into his hug then, and let my tears of anguish flow, hoping that maybe that would inspire him to say more.

"Don't cry, Bells. Oh, honey, please don't cry. I know this is a big change for you. I know how much you hate change…it's going to be okay, Bells."

_Aha_! I thought to myself. He thought I was still really upset about the move. I decided to milk this moment for all it was worth. I scolded myself for being so deceitful, but I didn't have time to dwell on that now.

"It's just so weird, Jacob. It's just so weird…" I wasn't lying. My urge to go visit the house…it _was_ weird.

I raised my head up to find Jacob's eyes boring straight through mine. He smiled a little and leaned down to press his lips to my forehead.

"Don't worry, Bella. It's going to take some getting used to, but it will be fine, I promise."

I feigned a smile and nodded a little. "Thanks, Jake. You always know just what to say."

He released me from his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Where were you going, anyway?"

I winced, then quickly untwisted my face and prayed that Jacob hadn't seen me do it. This was the hard part, the part where I had to lie to him.

"Um…I don't know, really."

_There, that wasn't so bad. You didn't completely lie,_ I tried to convince myself. He examined my face and nodded.

After a few moments of silence, he sighed and slid down to the floor. I moved against the wall and did the same. I leaned my head on his broad shoulder.

"I love you, Jacob Black."

"And I love you."

"I'm sorry."

He gently cupped a hand around my chin and moved my head so that I was looking at him. "Don't be silly. What could an angel like you possibly have to be sorry for?"

I sighed. "I blew this out of proportion."

"Oh, Bella. Don't say that. It's okay. I know you're upset."

I nodded slightly, and sighed again. "I just don't know what I'm going to do."

Then, with his hand still cupping my chin, Jacob pulled my face close to his. Our lips met and moved in sync for a few moments in a passionate kiss. When I finally pulled away, my distress was almost completely gone. Jacob was good for me in that way.

"I know what you're going to do."

"Do you, now?" I countered. He had a playful glimmer in his eyes.

"Yes, I do." In one quick movement, he was on his feet, and in another, I was in his arms, bridal style.

"Jacob! What are you doing?!" I squealed.

"Mrs. Black, you're coming with me."

I smiled. "Just where are we going, Mr. Black?"

He grinned impishly down at me as he started down the stairs.

"Home."

I liked the idea of that.

"But…Charlie?"

"He'll understand. Actually, he's not even here right now. He had to go back to the house. I guess he left a picture frame on his dresser, or something. Must have been important, because he ran out in a frenzy."

"Oh. So…what are we going to do when we arrive at this…home place?" I tried to play stupid.

His impish grin never faded.

"Ah, I can't give anything away. You'll just have to wait and see. Who knows? Emily won't be bringing the kids back from Seattle until this evening. We've got all the time in the world."

By that time, we'd reached the car. Jacob set me down on the ground and opened my door for me. Always a gentleman, my Jacob. I smiled and got in, more grateful than ever for Jacob, my best friend, my distraction, my healer…my husband.

Once we were on our way back to La Push, though, I felt that strange urge sneaking back in. I tried to push it away, but with the urge came all the memories. I tried to fight them, but found that I couldn't. Instead, I succumbed to them.


	5. five

**Disclaimer: Twilight still belongs to Stephenie, and not to me. Shucks. **

**A/N: Chapter five is here! dun dun dun! What are you waiting for? Read it! And then tell me what you think, via reviews. Please? XD **

**Enjoy!**

**­ **

EPOV

"Um, Charlie, uh, hi, Charlie," I stammered. I yelled at myself inside for not realizing he was in the house. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn't notice his were even here.

"Edward Cullen, what the _hell_ are you doing in my house?"

I resorted to his mind, reading his thoughts while I tried to think of a plausible reason for being here.

_I can't believe that no-good heartbreaker would dare show his face here. I've half a mind to just kill him right now…no, I can't do that, I'm a cop, I have a reputation. But no one would know…no, no, no. Why the hell is he here, anyway? Why did he come back? How _dare_ he come back! Doesn't he realize it would kill Bella to see him here? Why the hell did he come? And what's he doing in this house? I can't believe it's been almost ten years since he left. He doesn't look a day over twenty. Is it really possible that he's twenty-seven already? I wish I'd have looked like that at twenty-seven. Why isn't he answering me? I'm gonna give him thirty seconds before I jump on him…_

I gulped. Charlie was so suspicious of me. I was posing a huge threat to my family by being here. They would be so angry if they knew.

"I _asked_ you a question. You had better give me an answer, or I swear to God I don't know what I'll do…"

"Charlie, please, calm down," I tried.

"Calm down? _Calm down?_ And don't you _dare_ call me Charlie. I am _Mr. Swan_. You have no right to be here, you filthy…" He was taking deep breaths, trying to control his anger. I knew I had to get out of there.

"I'm sorry, I apologize, Mr. Swan. I shouldn't have come here."

"You're damn right you shouldn't have! Do you realize what you did to Bella? That girl was _lifeless_ for months after you left. It was like seeing a _zombie _walk around. She was devastated, Edward. You did that to her! Do you know what it's like to see your little girl devastated? It killed me, Edward. And you know what? I couldn't do a damn thing about it! She sat around all the time, not wanting to _do _anything. She wouldn't even let me send her home, she had to stay here. I know she always hoped you'd come back for her. _But you never did_. You ripped out her heart, and I swear, it's taking all my willpower not to rip you to shreds for that right now. _I hate you, Edward Cullen_."

I stared at him, wide-eyed. My Bella…I did that to my Bella? My dear, sweet Bella…I knew, of course, that she would hurt, that she would be upset. But I'd never imagined it would be like that. I almost didn't believe it.

"Char—Mr. Swan, I understand that I hurt Bella, you have to know that I'm sorry for that. It killed me, too, leaving her…" I stopped. I couldn't exactly tell him why I'd done it. I tried a new approach. "I am sorry, though. I just wanted her to know…"

"Oh my God. Oh my God, Edward. Don't even _say_ anything like that. I swear to God, if you go near her…don't even try, you vile excuse for a man! I swear to God, if you even attempt to talk to her, I _will _hurt you. I _will_. The only thing, the only one who got her through her pain was _Jacob._ He was there for her. He helped her; he wanted to be with her even though she was still devastated over losing _you_. He's been there for her this whole time, and I swear to God if you interfere with that…"

I nodded slightly and peaked into Charlie's thoughts again.

_I can't believe he wants to see her. He better not try to see her. This would kill her all over again if she knew. She's happy now. Why did he have to come back? Why now? He's too late._

"Mr. Swan, I understand that Bella has moved on…I knew she would, I suppose. I just wanted to see her again—" Charlie shot me a death look. "—but I understand that it would not be in anyone's best interest for me to do that. I will stay away from her. The last thing I want is to upset her life. I'm glad to hear that she's happy. She _is_ happy, isn't she?"

"Damn straight she is," Charlie snarled.

I nodded. "Good. That's all I wanted to know, really. I shouldn't have come here, though. I apologize profusely. I won't return here ever again. You have my word."

With that, I slipped past Charlie and out the door. I checked his mind one last time to make sure he wasn't too suspicious.

_I can't believe he came here! He better not come back. And he better not try to see Bella. I can't tell Bella about this, it would break her heart. She's been through so much already…_

I stopped listening then. I'd heard all I needed to hear.

I made my way into the forest. As soon as I was far enough in, I ran.

As I was running, I thought about what I'd heard in Charlie's mind. The thought "He's too late" stung the most. I knew it was true. Of course I was too late. I'd had my chance, and I blew it when I left. It still hurt, though. When I left, I had thought I was doing the best possible thing. In the end, I suppose I was. After all, if Bella was happy…that was what I had wanted all along. Right?

**A/N: Sorry for the swearing. I know a lot of readers don't mind it, but honestly, I didn't mean for it to happen. I just got really into the moment, and I felt as though that's truly what Charlie would say. The majority of the time, I won't have swearing in my stories. But anyway, review, and let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	6. six

**Disclaimer: Do I own Twilight? Nope. How about now? Still nope. In a hundred thousand years? Probably not. Oh, well. **

**A/N: Chapter six! Woo hoo! This chapter might not be the greatest, because I've been suffering from a nasty bit of writer's block. This is the best I could give you. I hope you like it. Review and let me know! **

**­ **

Jacob seemed content to make the drive home in silence. I don't think he noticed that I was staring out the window, lost in my memories of Edward.

As soon as we pulled up in the driveway, I noticed a black car in the driveway. I recognized it as Emily's. I heard Jacob talking and tried to pull myself away from my thoughts to pay attention.

"…back early," Jacob was saying with a frown.

I frowned, too. "I hope everything's okay."

"I'm sure she would have called if it wasn't," he reassured me. Nevertheless, I hurried inside.

I wasn't upset at all that Emily had let herself in. She knew where our spare key was, and she, Sam, and Zachary were always welcome here. We were practically family.

I was met at the door by my son, Anthony. He threw his little arms around my legs and screamed happily.

"Mommy!"

"Hey, buddy," I said with a laugh.

Until I got with Jacob, I had never thought of myself as a person who could have kids. I mean, I _could_ have them, obviously, but I'd never thought I would. Jacob wanted a family, though, and he made me realize that I did, too. Not just because I wanted to make him happy, but because the idea of having kids with Jacob was really exciting.

Our little Anthony Masen came along just a year after our marriage. He was a quirky kid, and was always surprising us by acting much older than four. We weren't sure if we wanted to have any more children after him. We'd pretty much decided to at least wait until he was six or seven to have another baby when we got the big surprise that I was pregnant again. Our daughter, Lana Danae, was born just over a year ago.

"Jacob? Bella? Is that you?" Emily called from the living room.

"Yes, Em," I called back, "it's us."

She strolled into the dining room slash kitchen, where we were, holding Lana in her arms. She smiled at us and Lana squealed with joy.

"Where's Zach?" Jacob asked, looking around.

She sighed and shrugged. "Oh, I don't know for sure. He's around here somewhere. He and Anthony were playing a game back in his room. He's probably still back there."

I nodded as Anthony let go of my legs and ran off. Emily handed Lana to me.

"So, you're back early from Seattle?"

"Yeah, the zoo wasn't very crowded today, so we looked at basically everything we wanted to see," Emily explained. She noticed Jacob's disappointed face and smirked. "So, Jacob, did I spoil any of your plans?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "Nah, not too much," he lied.

I shared a knowing look with Emily and we laughed.

"Everything went okay with the move, I'm assuming?" she wondered aloud.

"Yes, it went well," I informed her. "It's just a little odd, you know, seeing Charlie in a new place…"

She nodded sympathetically. "I understand that it must be tough for you."

I nodded as I moved to put Lana in her highchair. I grabbed a banana and started peeling it.

"It's a little rattling," I admitted.

Jacob came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist lovingly.

"I think it's more than a little rattling, Bells," he whispered in my ear.

I blushed, remembering how I'd run off, and how I'd basically lied to Jacob to cover up.

Emily spoke up again. "Um, sorry to interrupt your little moment, guys, but, uh…where's Sam?"

I looked over to see her fidgeting nervously.

"Oh, Emily," I said, giving her a hug. "Nothing's happened to Sam. He's just helping Charlie finish the last of his unpacking."

"Right. Of course."

"Honestly, Em, you worry too much," I told her gently. She smiled a little.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I insisted, going back to the counter where I'd left the banana. Jacob had gone to tend to Lana, who was waiting impatiently for her snack. I pulled out the cutting board and begin to cut the banana into small chunks for her.

xOxOx

Later on that afternoon, Jacob got a call from one of his best clients and had to run down to the garage to meet him. By that time, Sam was back from Charlie's, so he, Emily, and Zachary had gone home. It was just me, Anthony, and Lana.

"Mommy, why does Daddy always go to work?" Anthony asked me. We were sitting on the couch in the living room, watching a semi-educational video. It was something I felt guilty about doing, just putting in movies for them, but I had too much on my mind to give them the full attention they needed anyway. I felt even more guilty about that.

"Because, Anthony, Daddy fixes cars, and cars break all the time. So when a car breaks, Daddy goes to fix it."

"But can't Daddy ever say no?"

"Yes, he does, sometimes. But this car is a car he really likes," I tried to explain. It wasn't easy trying to tell a four-year-old how the working world worked. **(A/N: rofl. sorry, I couldn't resist the alliteration)**

"Oh. Okay." He shrugged and turned his attention back to the movie, giving me the chance to turn my attention back to the Cullens.

I was still surprised that Edward had left things under my floorboards. I wondered why he did that. I wondered _when_ he did that. I had no doubt that he would have had no trouble lifting the floorboards quietly and quickly any time he pleased; that was one of his vampire traits.

Thinking about Edward made me feel all fluttery inside, like I was still seventeen. _He_ was still seventeen. I tried to push that thought from my head.

I wondered absentmindedly why I felt fluttery instead of upset. Hadn't Edward caused me months of heartache? Hadn't I felt incomplete for God knows how long after he left me? So why wasn't I feeling that anguish now? All I felt was a wistful longing for all the good times from my past.

I tried my hardest to sit still and focus on the movie with Anthony and Lana, but honestly, a toddler video wasn't exactly the most interesting thing in the world for me to be watching. Finally, I couldn't stand the curiosity any longer.

I was going to find out what, exactly, Edward had put under my floorboards.

**A/N: I really hope you guys liked this chapter. It's so great to see that I've got a few loyal readers. Even if you haven't been reviewing constantly, if you're at least letting me know you like it, that's fantastic. It lets me know that you'd like to see more. I've been doing my best to reply to your reviews, to let you know personally that I appreciate what you're doing. Writers, even wannabes like me, are nothing without their fans (in this case, reviewers)! This chapter I dedicate to two of my reviewers that have faithfully reviewed every chapter:**** mYBlOodYcRySTalHeaRt and r0b0tic vampir. You guys rock! But everybody else rocks, too. I love you all. xD**


	7. seven

**Disclaimer: I love Twilight. I adore Twilight. I treasure Twilight. But no, I do not own Twilight. **

**A/N: Okay, here's the deal. I started thinking about this weekend, and how busy I'm going to be tomorrow, and I was like, crap, I won't be able to update my story! So I worked furiously to get another chapter done, just for you guys. I did this in a total of about forty-five minutes, so I hope it doesn't seem rushed. In any case, here it is: chapter seven. I hope you like it. I tried to make it longer so that it would hold you over till my next update, which won't be until Sunday evening at the earliest. Sorry!**

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I'd made my decision, and I saw no reason to delay. I knew that Jacob wouldn't be home for at least another hour. I felt pretty confident that I'd be home before he was.

Quickly, I shut off the television and scuttled the kids out to the car. Anthony, of course, was full of questions as to why.

"What are we doing, Mommy?" he asked, tugging on my pants as I fastened Lana into the car seat.

"You're going to go over to Zach's house for a bit," I explained as patiently as possible. I was becoming more and more curious with each passing second. I felt as if I would burst if I didn't have my answers soon.

"But we already played with Zachary today!" he pointed out.

"I know, but wouldn't you like to see him again?"

"Not really."

"Anthony…" I said with an exasperated sigh. I finished buckling in Lana and turned my full attention to him.

"What? I don't wanna go see Zach!" he insisted.

"Okay, but don't you want to see Emily? You like her."

"I guess, but I don't feel like it!" he whined.

"Well, I'm sorry, but Mommy has a few things she needs to do, so you're going over to Emily's."

"No!" he screamed, turning and running towards the house.

"Anthony Masen Black, you get back here _right now_," I shouted, my feet planted firmly on the ground. I made no effort to go after him.

My one simple sentence worked. He hated being yelled at, and he walked slowly towards the car, head hanging low. I didn't have time to feel bad; I just strapped him into the car and started to drive the short distance to Emily and Sam's house.

"I don't wanna go!" Anthony cried out from the backseat. His volume got Lana upset, so she began to wail.

I sighed and tried to maintain my focus. It was hard, though, with both kids crying and yelling and so many other things on my mind.

The drive to Emily's, which usually seemed so short, felt like it took me ages today. I finally arrived, though. I was in such a hurry to get the kids to Emily that I didn't even realize Jacob's Rabbit in the driveway until I got out.

"Bella!" he exclaimed, slamming the front door of the house shut and running out to me. He wrapped his arms around me tightly, as if we'd been apart for days instead of mere hours.

"Hey, Jake. Um, what's going on?"

Sam uncannily picked that moment to come out of the house, with Embry, Paul, Jared, and Quil not far behind. They were the other members of the pack…the _werewolf_ pack. I knew it wasn't just by coincidence that they were all there.

"Okay, seriously, _what is going on_?" I repeated, pulling away from Jacob and looking at each of the other men.

It was Sam who spoke up first. "Uh, Bella, I think you should go ahead and take the kids inside. Emily's in there. We'll be in soon."

"No way. First you tell me what's going on."

"_Bella!_" Jacob hissed. "Please, Bella, go inside with the kids, and I'll be right there. _Now_." The tone of his voice was something I'd never heard before. It was desperate, like he was pleading with me.

Fear slowly overcame me as I examined his stone face. "Okay," I whispered, giving in.

I hurried back to the car and opened the back door. Anthony's screaming had stopped as soon as I'd parked. Lana, however, was still sobbing.

"What's wrong with her?" Jacob asked uneasily, his voice detached. I could tell he was just anxious for us to get inside, although I was very unsure as to why.

"Oh, Anthony was just screaming, and he set her off," I told him softly. I wasn't sure if he even heard me, but he nodded slightly, so I took that as a sign that he had.

As I closed the car door and was getting ready to take the kids inside, I noticed that all the men were staring at each other. It looked as though they were having a serious conversation, but no words were being spoken.

I remembered suddenly that one of their werewolf…perks, I suppose, was that they could read each others' minds. I became even more on edge, and darted quickly up the steps to the porch and went inside, grateful that my clumsiness hadn't shown taken over in my rush.

"Is that you, Bella?" Emily called from somewhere in the house.

"Yes," I called back tentatively.

"We're in the bedroom. Come on back."

I slowly made my way to the master bedroom with Lana in my arms. Anthony was right on my heels.

Emily was sitting on the bed, her marred face looking uncharacteristically sad. Zachary was sitting in the corner, playing quietly with a truck. Anthony was hesitant to join him, but eventually did.

"What…Emily, what's going on?"

She shook her head slowly. "I'm not sure, Bella."

Gently, I set Lana down on the carpeted floor and climbed onto the bed to sit by Emily.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just…worried."

"About what?"

There was a long silence, and I knew she was trying to decide whether or not she should tell me. Obviously, though, she knew something.

"I really should let Jacob tell you."

"Fine," I said, not in the mood for arguing. Her face was so solemn that it sucked all of my usual obstinacy away.

There was another long, eerie silence. Finally, Emily stood up.

"Let's go into the kitchen, huh? I think the guys are gonna want some food, and who better to make it than us?" She grinned at me, as if the past few minutes hadn't happened. "The kids will be fine in here for a bit."

"Sure," I said warily. "Sounds good. What are we gonna make?"

She grinned again and shrugged. "We'll find something."

We got out a bunch of equipment. I was mixing batter for brownies and Emily was working on a huge dish of lasagna when the guys came inside. By the guys, I mean Sam and Jacob.

Emily abandoned her saucepan and ran over to Sam, who accepted her lovingly into his arms.

"Is everything okay?" she asked him.

"We're not sure," he muttered.

I turned off the electric beater and turned to face Jacob, my hands on my hips.

"Jacob Black, will you please tell me what is going on?" I half-asked, half-demanded, the authority in my own voice startling me.

He sighed and wrapped me in another hug before he spoke.

"Bella, there's something going on around La Push. Something strange. It's something we haven't seen happening here for…quite some time."

"What do you mean?" I noticed my voice was shaking. I had a bad feeling about what he was going to say next. "You're not saying…"

Jacob gulped, and nodded. His voice was barely a whisper as he choked out the one simple word. Though I knew it was inevitable, I still hated hearing him say it.

"Vampires."

**A/N: I hope you don't hate me for leaving it like this. Haha. Once again, sorry if it seems rushed or whatever. I'll update again as soon as possible, I promise! Don't forget to review!**


	8. eight

**Disclaimer: There's really no funny, clever way to say this…I just don't own Twilight. **

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay. Like I said, this weekend's been a busy one, plus I'm still sort of suffering from writer's block. I was concentrating on not making this chapter seem stiff…and then it just started to come. Yay! So review, let me know what you thought!**

EPOV

"Hello, Edward." The smooth voice didn't sound right coming from such a filthy, vile creature.

"Victoria," I snarled, "what are you doing here?"

I'd come to a halt in the woods upon seeing a blur of flaming red hair pass me. It may have been awhile since I'd seen that hair, but I'd recognize it anywhere. I wasn't too surprised that she was here, though. Alice had seen her in visions a few times, searching, but it was unclear for what, or whom. I'd always assumed it was for me. She wanted to kill me for killing James, her mate. And it made perfect sense that she thought I was still here.

She tossed her head back and laughed. The laugh was full of disgust that she didn't even attempt to hide.

"You know perfectly well why I'm here. Don't you have the psychic sister?"

"What does Alice have to do with…?" I trailed off, deciding I would just look into Victoria's mind for the answers. There was no point in going through all this.

_As if he doesn't know that I'm here for that _human_ of his. An eye for an eye, that's my philosophy. She smells so good; she must be close to here. Nobody kills my mate and gets away with it clean. I could just kill him now, though, if I wanted to. No…that wouldn't be much fun, would it? I'd much rather get the human girl. Although I could take him with me and make him watch as I destroy her…now _that_ could be fun…_

I stepped back a few steps, appalled by what I'd heard in there. She wanted _Bella?_ I was angry. I was furious. Bella hadn't done anything wrong. Victoria would never get near her. Not if I could help it.

"Victoria, you can have me, but you _can't_ have Bella! Besides, she's not with me anymore. She's married now. She's living a regular human life!" I tried to get her to understand.

She just laughed some more. "Heard my thoughts, did you? Well, I should have known you'd peak in there. Oh, how naïve you are, to think I'd settle for you. That would ruin the point, now, wouldn't it?" Her red eyes bore into mine. "Now's as good a time as any to get her. I mean, I'm fed just well enough to resist her blood long enough to get some…pain in before she dies."

I crouched down, ready to pounce on Victoria. Before I could, though, her eyes grew wide and she took off running.

"What the…" I muttered to myself, standing up and looking around.

At that very moment, I smelled them. Werewolves. And they were close. I was trying to decide if I should run or not when, suddenly, six of them appeared before me. They looked ready to tear me to shreds. I, stupidly, stayed put and tried to plead with them.

"Please. Wait. Don't! I…"

Before I could say anything more, one of the biggest wolves phased back into his human form and walked forward to face me.

"Edward Cullen," he spat out, as if my name made him sick. Well, I'm sure it did, because I was a vampire, and he was a werewolf. But…how did he know my name? His thoughts were loud and clear, and very angry.

_I can't believe he has the nerve to show up here, on _our_ land, after what he did to my Bella! I thought maybe we'd run into that bloodthirsty redhead, but _Edward Cullen?_ I should kill him now…okay, sorry guys, I won't._

I was confused by that last thought.

"You can read each others' minds?" I guessed, looking at the wolves.

The wolf who was now human glared at me. "Bella told me you could read minds."

"You didn't answer my question," I pointed out.

"Yes."

It hit me then. The wolf's had thoughts included the phrase "My Bella." And now he said that Bella had told him something. How else would he know about me, unless…unless…

"Bella married a _dog_?" I shouted, my voice seeping with all the repulsion I was feeling.

He glared again. I noticed that none of the other wolves phased back. This one must either be awfully brave, or awfully stupid. How could Bella settle for that?

"Better than bloodsucking leech." He spat out the words, just as he'd done with my name.

I couldn't comprehend this. I couldn't understand. Didn't Bella realize how dangerous it was to be with a _werewolf?_ Almost as dangerous as it was for her to be with me!

"I don't understand," I grumbled, glaring back at the wolf.

"I saw what you did to Bella. You killed her inside when you left her. And it turns out she doesn't care that I'm a _werewolf._" He said the word with repulsion as well, as if it truly sickened him. "She loves me. She doesn't love _you_. Why she ever did is beyond me. So why don't you just get out of here?"

I tried to stay calm and not beat the crap out of this egotistical werewolf. But I didn't think that would be very wise, considering the fact that there were five other werewolves there, and all of them were thinking how much they'd love to tear me apart.

Suddenly, I remembered Victoria, and how she'd run off.

"Victoria," I growled.

At the sound of her name, the wolf's head snapped to attention, his glare gone.

"Victoria? The redheaded vampire?"

I nodded. "She was just here. She's looking for Bella. She wants to torture her! She wants to kill her! If it hadn't been for _you _showing up, I could have taken care of her…"

"Shut up, Cullen," the wolf demanded. He was trembling now, and I knew he was going to morph at any second. I also knew that if I didn't get out his way, I was risking being destroyed. So I ran.

I ran until I reached a part of the forest that I knew was in Forks territory. I hadn't even realized I was on the La Push land. I realized then that Bella probably lived on that land. I'd been so close to her…Victoria had been so close to her!

I was now filled with nothing but rage. If those dogs couldn't do the job, I'd see to it that I personally destroyed that filthy creature. And then, I promised myself, I'd find a way to get to Bella.

I _had_ to see my Bella.


	9. NEWauthors note

**Hey guys! Remember me? It's been over a year, but I'm back! And I'm ready to write more…but only if you guys still want it. So please, review and let me know if you'd like to see more of this, or if I'm better off just leaving it undone. I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry that (a) I'm being obnoxious, and (b) I haven't updated in so very long. But yeah, let me know! Hugs and kisses.**

**-indiesky.**


	10. nine

**Disclaimer: Twilight: amazing, awesome, wonderful…but not mine.**

**A/N: OH MY GOD. Thank you guys so much for being so wonderful and so encouraging! After the amazing response I got, of course I had to write more for you! It's been over a year since I've written, so forgive me if it's not the best. I'm trying to get back into it.**

I looked up into my husband's eyes, wishing the stale taste in my mouth would go away. Sam and Emily, in each other's arms, were both staring at me, gauging my reaction. Though vampires were a sore subject for everyone on the reservation, they all knew that I was the touchiest of all.

Time passed so slowly during those moments in Emily's kitchen. Jacob's gaze was locked on mine. Finally, I managed to speak.

"Who?"

Jacob's eyes narrowed a bit as he proceeded with caution. "Well…we're not quite sure. We…er, well, the one that set us off was that redheaded woman, the one who used to come around here a lot, remember?"

I tried to speak, but could only nod.

"Well, it was her. She's the one…I mean…" he trailed off, throwing a pleading glance toward Sam.

"Jacob…there's something you're not telling me. What is it?"

He sighed deeply. "Oh, Bells…"

"Jacob! What _is_ it?"

"Well, we were chasing the…redhead. And, well, we ran into someone…" he trailed off again, his eyes filled with a rage I hadn't noticed before.

"Who?" I breathed. My mind went to _him_, of course. Could it really be him? I had been ready to go over to that house. Was he back? His family? But they couldn't be back in Forks; it had only been nine years…

_Nine years._

Nine years, but the feelings were so fresh. His face filled my mind. Those perfect features…I had to control my thoughts. Was that why I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him today? Because he was here? If that was true, that meant we had a connection. That thought excited and angered and saddened me, all at once. I couldn't even think straight.

"Bella? Bella! Are you okay?" Jacob's voice brought me back from my thoughts.

"I'm…yeah. I'm good."

He narrowed his eyes even further, staring intently into my own. "Are you really?"

"I…" I couldn't lie. I wasn't okay, and he knew it. Now I had a reason to be upset. I might as well make the most of it. I tried not to feel guilty for thinking that way.

"Bella…it's okay to be upset," Emily said softly.

"Jacob, I just have to know…was it him? Was it…Edward?"

The name made my lips go numb. I saw the fire in Jacob's eyes burn brighter. He gulped and choked out, "Yes."

That was it. I fell into the arms of my husband, letting the tears flow for the second time that day. This time, though, the tears shook me violently as all the memories flooded back, relentless. I tried to control myself, but I just couldn't stop. I heard Jacob speaking, felt his hands on my shoulders, my face, my hair…I heard Emily's soft voice and felt her delicate touch on my back. I was also vaguely aware of the other members of the pack coming in, saying things. None of this mattered. I could focus only on one thought.

Edward was back.

**A/N: Once again, thank you guys SO MUCH for being so great to me. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer, but this was the best I could come up with for you tonight. I wanted to get an update as soon as possible to thank you all. Look for more! It'll come just as soon as I can possibly get it up, I promise. Hugs and kisses.**


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